


Bloodlines

by HopsfyandCompany



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2020-04-24 10:26:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19171396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopsfyandCompany/pseuds/HopsfyandCompany
Summary: Marelyn Turner has a new job in the early 2000s, Los Angeles city with one of her father's financial patrons. She knew him from a young age and is happy to be leaving the lights of New York City. Little did she know that her whole life was combined with those who have been touched by death.





	1. Chapter 1

The heavy rains pounded against the windows of the cab as it drove through the city night. A young woman in the back watched the raindrops race the window as the cab came to a stop. Her puzzled face looked at the balding man in the driver's seat. "Umm, sir?" Her voice quivered from behind. "This is some bar. This isn't Venture Towers."

The driver turned around and looked at her dead in the eyes. "There ain't no way in hell I'm going anywhere near that tower. I'm letting you off here." The younger woman stared at the driver with a dumbfounded expression only to be startled by a large crack of thunder, causing her to jump in her seat. With the same look on her face, she got out of the car and, using her jacket to cover her head, she collected her two suitcases from the trunk. Once she was standing on the curb, underneath the canopy of the entrance to the bar, the cab sped away. She turned around to face the entrance and read the rusted sign "The Last Round". After a heavy sigh and another crack of thunder, she entered the bar. Instantly she could feel the eyes of the other patrons on her. Her rain-soaked jacket and pencil skirt only made her stand out that much more. Rolling her bags alongside her, she walked up to the bartender and asked, "Do you have a phone I could use?" 

"We have some upstairs." He said simply. She looked at her bags anxiously and sighed again towards the stairs. "I'll watch those for you." 

She nodded her thanks as she left them to go up the narrow stairs that led to the larger section of the bar. There was only a small handful of people but their eyes followed her. She walked over to the phones on the wall and dialed. "Hi, this is Marelyn Rose Turner for Sebastian LaCroix...Yes, I can hold." Marelyn tapped her foot as she waited, noticing that the others were still looking at her. "Yes! Hello Mr. LaCroix - Sebastian... Yes, I'm fine... Yes, I'm sure. My cab driver just refused to drop me off at your building. I was just going to wait here at a bar called The Last Round until the rain stops... Yes, I'm sure. Okay then, I'll see you soon." She hung up the phone and sighed. 

A deep raspy voice came from behind and began to speak. "What the hell are you doing with a man like LaCroix?" Marelyn's face lit up at the sound of his voice. 

She turned around smiling at the rugged-looking man. "Jack?" Once her suspicions were confirmed, she gave the large man a hug. This was a tall, skinny man with a tall face to match. His scruffy beard and gravelly voice only added to his young-ish appearance. "What are you still doing here? I thought you'd be back in New York or Chicago by now."

He let go of her and smiled. "You kidding me? I'm never going back to New York. L.A. just seems to be the place for me right now." He walked her over to a table and had her sit down. "Now tell me if I heard you right. Are you working with LaCroix on something?" The other two people in the room walked over to where they were sitting. "Oh, this is Damsel and this is Skelter." The damsel was a pale redhead who wore a beret and bright red lipstick. Skelter was an African American man whose face to be holding a grudge. 

Marelyn nodded a simple hello and began to talk again. "Well, I'm helping LaCroix with his finances. I believe it's only a temporary job. My father got it for me. I think he thinks that Sebastian will offer me a job after the work is all done. My father knows how much I want to get out of New York and saw this as an opportunity." 

"I almost forgot that you are an accountant." Jack laughed and signaled for his friends to sit down with them at the table. "It's been so long since I've seen you. How old are you now?" 

"I'm twenty-five now, Jack. You haven't seen me in about six-seven years." Marelyn smiled. "You honestly don't look like you've aged a day." Jack laughed harder than she expected. 

"I guess that just what time does to you." He looked over at his two friends and they smirked, almost like they had some sort of inside joke with that. Marelyn looked out of the window and saw that the rain had settled down and she shifted in her seat. 

"Well, I better get going. Don't want to anger the new boss. Even though his father had been helping my family out for years, I don't want to lessen any expectations. Jack eyed his two companions and smiled again.

"I'll walk you over. You are not walking alone on the L.A. streets this time of night." They both stood up and walked down the stairs to the main floor. Jack grabbed her bags for her as they walked out of the bar. 

"Is it normal for these kinds of business people to have such late hours?" She asked as they turned the corner. "He wants me to work sundown to sunrise. I'm going to have to change my whole sleep cycle."

"Can't tell ya. I try not to get too involved with those types of people." He seemed to have a certain seriousness that Marelyn wasn't familiar with when it came to Jack and they remained silent for the rest of the way. Just as they were stepping up to the massive skyrise, Jack spoke. "Just be careful. Don't trust everyone you meet."

"I'm not eighteen anymore, Jack. I can look after myself. I'm also just an accountant. What is the worst that could happen to me?" She pushed him softly and smiled. "But don't worry too much. I'll be staying with Venus, so there will be plenty of people looking out for me." 

Jack nodded. "Ahhh. Confessions. What a place. I honestly can't believe it's standing. Venus really does know how to run a good club." Jack smiled as turned to look at the young woman. "Well, here we are Mare. Your new Hell."

Marelyn nodded. "I'll be fine. No worries. And I can't believe you just called me that." She sighed heavily and looked up at the tall scruffy man. "Wish me luck and I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. You seem to be on the nightly schedule as Mr. LaCroix."

He scoffed and smiled. "See ya around, kid. And you should stop by the bar sometime soon. There is someone I'd love to introduce you to. I think you two would really hit it off." 

"Thanks, Jack, but I'm not really looking for a date right now." She teased back, taking the suitcases from him. "I really just want to focus on work."

Jack let out a booming laugh. "Hey! I'm just trying to help you out! Call the bar if you need to get ahold of me. I'm always around if you need any help."

"Thanks, Jack." Mare smiled and they both said their goodbyes as she walked into the large building. Inside was a small lobby with a large sign behind a desk with "LaCroix" written with neon lights. There was a plump, middle-aged man sitting at the desk with a large smile placed on his face. Once this man caught her eye, he smiled and greeted her. 

"Hello there!" Mare returned a simple smile and walked up to the desk.

"Umm, I'm Marelyn Rose Turner. I have an appointment with Sebastian LaCroix."

"Ahh, yes! He did mention you! But he didn't mention you'd be a pretty young lady. I'll call him up and let him know you are here." He quickly dialed the phone and as he spoke, Marelyn looked around the room and sighed, wondering what her new life would be like. Once she heard the phone being placed back down, she turned to look at the pudgy balding man. "He will be right down to meet you. He was very adamant about that miss."

A few moments later, a man appeared from behind the metal detector on her left. He was a tall, slender and very welled dressed. He was buttoning his jacket as he walked up to Marelyn. "Marelyn? Is that really you?" He said, showing a perfectly white smile and a nicely matching English accent. His strawberry blonde hair was combed back neatly until he ran fingers through it. "I mean, look at you."

"Sebastian, I'm pretty sure the last time I saw you I was what, twenty-one?" Marelyn smiled, looking at her new boss. "I've grown up in the past four years. The world has changed since 1999. Oh, and I'm sorry about your father."

"You are too sweet. Thank you. And I'm sorry about your cab. I have no idea why he wouldn't come up to the building. However, there is no need to worry. I have rented you a certain cab and driver that will help you get around, free of charge."

"Mr. LaCroix! You don't have to do that for me! I'm staying with my cousin Venus, so I already have a way around."

"I insist. Since you refused the flat I rented for you, it's the least that I can do." He smiled and sighed. "Allow me to show you to my office. We can talk about all the business details there." Marelyn followed her new boss to the elevator as they rode up in silence. They had left her bags with the security officer at the desk so she didn't have to worry about them. Almost as if he could read her mind, he laughed. "Please don't be nervous. You'll do great. I've seen what you've done with your father's business, so I know you can handle it."

As the elevator door opened, he began to walk her down a short hallway leading to a set of double doors. "My father owns one small store. You own a national company. There is indeed a difference between them." Once the doors were opened, she was in awe at the size of the office. She was still surprised that someone so young could be so successful. The large room was sectioned off into three parts. The left and right sections were identical and it leads to the far end of the office where a single desk sat. The night city skyline was in full view behind the desk as she could hear him laugh. 

I knew you'd love that view. You can see the whole city from up there." She laughed and smiled back at him. 

"My office better not be in some corner somewhere if this is where you spend your nights."

LaCroix laughed looking at the ground as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Now you are going to start asking me for things? After you deny my other offers? Well, don't worry. You'll be working with me most of the time and if you aren't you'll be working with some of my associates." He motioned his hand to a small chair in front of his desk for her to sit down. "I can't thank you enough for doing this. I just need some help organizing some of my local assets. I just want to make sure everything is in order."

Marelyn nodded and crossed her legs. "Thank you for the opportunity. I have to say, I am very happy to be out of New York. swear I was going to go crazy. And I'm looking forward to work. It's something different but do all of your assets have hours like this?"

He smiled back once more. "Unfortunately, yes. I am sorry about the schedule. If it really becomes a problem, please tell me and I can figure something out for you. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have you on board." Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang and Sebastian let out a long sigh as he picked up the phone. "Hello?... I know what time it is but-... I understand but do you realize what that could do for us?... Can you give me a second?" He placed the caller on hold without waiting for an answer. "I'm so sorry Marelyn, but I really need to take this. Your cab should just be outside the building. Tell him your name and here is a number that you can call for his services. We will talk more tomorrow and we will get you started." He smiled once more at her, seeming to ponder something. "Please be safe. I'm sorry about all this." 

Marelyn stood up and returned the smile. "No worries. I completely understand. I'll see you tomorrow." She slowly turned away and started to head to the door as LaCroix picked the phone back up and started talking once more.

"Thank you for-... Hey, we all have business to attend to tonight and I was in the middle of something." Marelyn smiled and waved back at her new boss as she left. Once she was out of the room and the door was shut, he couldn't help but smile and bite his lower lip. "No. I know exactly what I am doing and I don't need you to tell me otherwise."


	2. Chapter 2

Once Marelyn grabbed her bags from the security desk, she smiled goodbye to the pudgy man. "Have a safe night miss." She wheeled her things out to the side of the street to meet a small clean cab parked on the curb. A caramel-skinned man had his arm out the window, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. She pulled up beside him and smiled. "Hello? Are you my designated driver?"

He turned his head and offered her a small smile. "It is my job to drive you to whatever destination that you desire, my lady." He had a peculiar accent that Marelyn couldn't quite recognize. He opened his door and bowed slightly to her, causing her to smile and laugh. He took her suitcases and placed them into the trunk and quickly opened the side passenger door. She gave a small polite curtsey as she sat in the back. "Where to?"

"To Confessions, please. And if I may ask, where are you from? I can't quite place your accent."

"A place long forgotten." Marelyn laughed slightly and smiled. "One can say that I am from the middle east." He looked back at her from the rearview mirror and saw her reaction. "Does that not satisfy you?"

"Not at all but I will take what I can get. I doubt you want to be pushed around by some random girl that a businessman asked you to drive around." 

He lifted his eyebrows and smirked. "I drive people around regardless, my lady. Driving is simply my job, no matter who pays me and no matter who sits in my back seat."

"Elegantly said." She returned the smile and sat there silently for the rest of the ride over to the club. Once they were at the destination, the cab driver opened her door again and retrieved her things from the trunk. He sat back into the driver's seat and smiled. 

"Anything else you need, my lady?"

"Actually, could you wait here for a bit? I think I'll be going somewhere else tonight if you don't mind." He gave her a small head nod in reassurance. "Thank you." She wheeled her belongings through the small gated area to what appeared to be an old cathedral of sorts. She smiled when she heard the gothic music as she crossed the threshold into the club that was called Confession. The club was full of people dancing to aggressive music. Her smile only grew larger when she was the familiar face of her cousin behind the bar. Once her steel blue eyes met Mare's, she squealed with delight. 

"Mare! You're here!" Venus ran from behind the bar. Her short black hair came to just above her shoulders with bangs that came to just above her eyes. She was in tight shorts and a very revealing top that matched the aesthetic of the club. Once she was in front of her, she pulled her in for a tight hug full of laughter. "I thought something happened to you!" Her own English accent was very strong as she continued to speak. "I swore that LaCroix must have kidnapped you or that you crashed or something must have happened to you." Venus let go of Mare and smiled. "Come on. Let's get you to your room."

Venus showed her to the far end of the club where there were two locked gates that led up to the upper level. Once they were in the separate part of the club, she felt like she could relax a bit more. "I can turn the music down in the club a bit if you want to relax." Mare didn't even notice the music by the time they were in the apartment style rooms of the club. 

"No worries. I was actually going to change clothes and go to this other bar just down the street. I think it was called The Last Round. I ran into Jack down there. He mentioned how I should come to meet him and some of the others some time." She paused as she pulled out some jeans and a tee shirt to put on. "Not that I don't want to stay and hang out here! I just felt we could catch up when I get back and the club has slowed down."

Venus laughed and hugged her again. "Don't worry. We have all the time in the world. And you said you'd help me bartend on the weekends." She let go and pointed at her while she changed into her more casual clothes. "I have it in writing. You can't take it back."

"Of course I'll help. I could use the extra cash anyway. Becuase you said I could keep all the tips I get." Mare pointed right back at her and they both laughed. "I won't be gone too long. Just to have a few drinks with Jack." They both walked down to the main floor and as Mare was walking out, Venus went back to her priestess personality behind the bar, serving her sins to the other patrons. She was happy to see that the cab driver was still there and he returned the smile right back to her. 

"You ready to go to your next destination, my lady?" He said from the driver's seat window.

"I am, sir." Mare opened to door herself as she got into the back. "To The Last Round, please." She could see his eyebrows peek up over his sunglasses and she smiled. "What?"

He didn't begin talking until the car was moving. "The anarch heaven, I've been told."

"Anarch haven?" Mare couldn't help but laugh. "It's just a grungy biker bar." The rest of the ride was silent and she thanked him once they arrived at the bar. "Mr. LaCroix gave me a number that I could use to get a hold of you. I guess I'll call you when I'm ready. Thank you so much for this." She climbed out and gave the man a small wave as he pulled away from the bar. She walked into the bar and saw the bartender from before. He seemed to be a young twenty-something with muscular arms and a seemingly nice smile. 

"Back again so soon?" He micks slightly. "Can I get you anything?"

"How about a scotch? On the rocks." He was clearly shocked at the drink that she ordered but was pleased to make it all the same. "Is Jack still here?" Mare asked as she picked up her glass, heading over to the stairs. He simply shrugged and she walked up to see that the upper floor was completely empty. Ahe walked over to the windows on the far side, gazing at the bright lights of the city.

"Who are you?" A stern voice brought her out of her daydream as she turned around to see the face of a young man. He had a buzz cut and a goatee to match. There was something in his dark eyes that seemed to try to intimidate her but she knew better. 

"A more appropriate question when talking to an unknown woman in a bar is 'what are you drinking?' or 'where are you from?' Starting off with 'who are you?' is a very bold choice and very risky." Marelyn smirked but could tell that he wasn't in the joking mood. Yet there was something that lightened in his eyes and a small smirk appeared on his face. 

He brought his hands up in defense and let out a small chuckle. "My bad. Maybe I'll try one of those next time. But honestly, I've never seen you around here before. We typically don't see new faces around here."

"I'm Marelyn Rose." She extended a hand and smiled politely, holding her drink in the other.

He stepped closer and took her hand in his. "Nines. Nines Rodriguez." Something in his eye seemed to change once more. "I remember that name. Why do I know that name?"

Once she took her hand away, she raised an eyebrow. "I've already heard that one before. Try something new and original, please."

NInes laughed and shook his head. "I'm serious. I've heard your name recently. Wait! Jack was talking about you." Marelyn smiled at the mention of her friend's name. "He said something about you working for LaCroix." There was a certain disdain in his voice. 

She rolled her eyes and walked over to a nearby table. "Why is it when his name is mentioned in here everyone seems to fill up with hate?" She set her glass down as she sat down at the table on her right. "He may be a big city businessman, but he has done a lot of good." She heard Nines scoff as he sat across from her. "What? He gave me a job. He is the reason I am here. I owe him so much. My family owes him so much." 

"That's what they do. They give so that they can take from the little guy."

"His family has never once asked for anything in return. LaCroix knew that I had always dreamt about leaving New York. He has grown up with me. He is almost like a friend to me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Almost?"

"It's a business thing. We became connected with his family and they have helped us out ever since. My father went to school with Sebastian's father."

"So now he's Sebastian now?" He laughed and shook his head. "You can tell me all you want, but I know what big corporations like his can do. He also just feels that since he's this new figure in the city, he can completely change everything we've built here! We survived long without him and his laws and he just thinks that-" Nines' rant was stopped by Jack clearing his throat as he walked into the room.

Nines saw his friend, looked back a Marelyn and began to calm himself down. "Sorry," he laughed nervously. "I get worked up over small things and I'll just start rambling. I'm going to get a drink." He stood up and made his way over to the small staircase and walked down. Jack came over and sat beside a very confused Mare.

"What the hell was that?" She asked as she took a drink.

"I'd just ignore it. He goes on rants like that a lot. Especially when people like LaCroix are involved. Get's him all worked up about his philosophies." Mare scoffed and looked back outside, taking in the view of the city lights. "But he is something, ain't he? Tall, well built, passionate." Mare laughed and shoved Jack's shoulders. 

"As I told you before, I'm not here for a dating life. I'm here for work."

"Speaking of work, how did the meeting go? Is he as ravishing as they all talk about?"

"He's my boss, Jack, god damn. I'll be doing more work tomorrow. Hopefully, that means that He'll be introducing me to his contacts here in the city. To be honest, I'm pretty nervous."

"Now why is that? You're a smart and gorgeous young woman! You could do whatever you put your mind to. I knew that from the moment I met you."

"Wow, Jack. Thank you for the uplifting and impromptu speech. I really needed that." She laughed and looked around the room. "How long does it take to get a drink? Did I really scare him off that badly?"

Jack let out a booming laugh and banged his hand on the table. "It'll that more than just a headstrong girl to scare Nines away." Suddenly, there was a loud noise of someone running up the stairs which caused both Jack and Marelyn to focus on the stairway. The redhead from earlier had an angry face that only had to look at Jack to give an explanation. "Sorry sweetheart, but we have to go. See you later and be safe." With that, they took off, leaving Marelyn to herself in the upper room of the bar. 

.......

Once she finished her drink, she rang up her new driver and waited downstairs; her mind racing. As her chauffeur came up to the front, he opened her door as she slowly stepped inside. With his sunglasses still on, he looked at her through the review mirror. "What is troubling you, my lady?"

Marelyn looked up and tried to smile. "Nothing. Just not used to the nightlife, I guess." she sighed and looked down at the watch on her wrist, seeing it was almost four in the morning. "I don't know if I will be okay with this new sleep schedule. It's going to be a real struggle." She could hear him chuckle from the front. "What?" He simply shook his head and smiled, staying silent for the rest of the ride back to Confession. Once she was dropped off at her cousin's, she sighed, walking into the closing club to rest until the next night.


	3. Chapter 3

As Marelyn was sitting in the back of that cab, she found herself drifting in and out of sleep. The driver chose to not try and wake her as he smiled from his seat. Once they arrived at the front door of Ventrue Towers, the driver opened her door and tapped her lightly on her shoulder."My lady?" She jerked awake and sighed heavily. 

"I'm so sorry. I guess I'm not used to this sleep cycle just yet. I hope he has some coffee up in that penthouse office." Mare took the driver's hand and stepped out of the car, pulling her black dress to just above her knees. "How do I look?" Her make-up was simple and her hair straightened at her sides. "I thought wearing a dress would be better than a skirt for the first day, since I'm meeting with some of his contacts."

"You look lovely, my lady." He gave a small bow and walked back into his car. As he drove away, Marelyn walked into the small lobby and smiled at the chubby officer at his desk. 

"Well look at you, young lady!" Marelyn smiled at the ground and blushed slightly. "LaCroix will be very pleased to see you! He told me just to send you up right away. Do you remember how to get there?"

"I think I can manage, thank you." She walked through the metal detectors and headed to the elevators in the back. Once she was in, she sighed as the long ascent to the penthouse began. Once she was at the top, she started walking through the corridors to arrive at LaCroix's office. As she arrived at those doors, she could overhear a slight conversation through the doors. 

"Please, can you do this for me? I can't fault on the statements I made last night. I don't want to risk her safety." It was Sebastian. 

"Sir, of course, I'll assist you, but I don't think this is a good idea. Especially now." 

"Strauss. You have been a great asset with this transition, but I know what I'm doing." Marelyn felt bad eavesdropping, so she lightly knocked on the door, peeking her head around the door. "Marelyn!" Sebastian greeted. As he walked over to greet her, he buttoned up his jacket and slightly tussled his hair. They both walked up to each other and shook each other's hand with a soft smile.

"I hope I'm not intruding on anything." She looked over to his guest and she was shocked. "Maximillian Strauss?" The tall, skinny man walked over to her with a small smile. He was wearing small circular glasses. He offered her a hand to greet her and she took it happily. "I read your books in my philosophy classes in college. You were the reason I almost changed my major."

"You flatter me." He said simply with his subtle English accent. "I simply love to write what I think. And you weren't intruding on anything. LaCroix here was just explaining what I was going to help you with tonight." 

Marelyn looked over at her new boss. "Are you not going to be the one to introduce me to your own contacts?"

Sebastian shook his head lightly. "Unfortunately, no. I have some calls to make that must be done by tonight. I'm truly sorry that I can't do this myself, but Strauss here said her could help tonight, for at least a few of my contacts. I hope that's okay." He seemed to have a bit of sorrow in his eyes that surprised Marelyn.

"Of course, it's fine. There are no worries. I completely understand." She gave a smile and a head nod. "As you said before, we'll be working with each other for most of the time that I'm here, so we have plenty of time to see each other." He gave a small smile back as the phone on his desk began to ring once more.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and sighed. "And so it begins. You guys stay safe out tonight and make sure the Voerman sisters don't freak her out too much." His heels hit the ground with authority as he walked over and answered his phone. Strauss led Marelyn out of the room and as they waited for the elevator, something seemed off to her and it seemed like Strauss could tell.

"No need to worry about anything. You'll be safe with me." She looked up to the man and gave a nervous chuckle.

"It's not that I don't feel safe, I just don't feel awake enough to meet with his contacts. It's also strange to think that you are one of them. I had no idea you lived here in L.A." The door to the elevator opened and they waited inside. 

"I've only recently moved here. It's an interesting city with an amusing nightlife. Can't say that about everywhere." Marelyn chuckled again while rubbing her face. "I can tell the nightlife hasn't caught up with you yet."

"It's very hard. There isn't enough coffee in the world that will help me get used to this. Are all you guys nocturnal?"

"Unfortunately, yes. However. LaCroix seems to think that you have a lot of promise in helping him out." Once the elevator was on the ground level, they walked out the door to her usual cab driver; ready to take them to their next destination. 

"So, the Voerman sisters? Are they that intimidating?" She asked as she sat down.

"The Asylum, please." The driver began their journey, looking at them through the rearview mirror. "They are very peculiar, those two. They both own and run the club we are going to. They are both expecting us, but I wouldn't be surprised if Therese was the one to talk with us tonight. In typical sister fashion, they're fighting." His voice was full of annoyance. 

"Not a fan?"

"It's not that I'm not a fan, I just don't always agree with their way of," he paused. "Organizing." Marelyn sighed and looked out the window, not really knowing what to think. It seemed as if Strauss knew what she was thinking and laughed. "You don't need to worry. LaCroix has everything planned out. For both you and his ... contacts, as he calls them. And not to mention, he likes you. He sees a lot of potential in you." She blushed, not knowing what to say. "In all honesty, I could use an accountant of my own. Some things just need to be cleaned up, which is why I think LaCroix had you come all the way out here."

"I just don't want this to turn into an audit. I have very little training with that and it can be very messy. I really just want to focus on cleaning up for him and doing a bit of networking. I really don't want to go back to New York. I've spent my whole life in or near that city. I just want to escape it." She stopped herself from saying any more. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ramble. I'm just so grateful for this opportunity. I can't imagine what my father was asking LaCroix to do for me."

The cab slowed down to a stop as the club came into view. It was a large building with bright neon lights reading "The Asylum" hung just above the front door. As Strauss got out of the car, he smiled at Marelyn as he offered his hand to her. "Trust me, Ms. Turner." He helped her out of the cab. "Sebastian didn't need much persuasion from your father to know that he needed your help." She smiled lightly as they walked up to the steps to the club. Strauss' calm nature seemed to clash with the darker theme of the club they had just stepped into. The loud music didn't bother her but there was something about the club that made her a bit uneasy. Strauss lightly nudged her towards the bar where a woman, dressed in a gray pencil skirt and suit top, was arguing softly with a young man. 

"Just give her this for him." The younger man said. 

"Absolutely not. She needs to learn that being with Kaine like him is wrong." She said back.

The young man scoffed and threw his arms up. "You've got to be kidding me? It's just a note! You can even read it if you want! He doesn't care as long as it gets into the hands of your sister." By then. Marelyn and Strauss were near the bar and the young man noticed them and sat back down in his stool. The young woman turned around to see the two standing there and smiled. 

"You must be Marelyn!" She stood up and walked over to them, extending her hand. As Marelyn took it, she smiled and noticed the young man smiling at her. The woman whipped her head around and took the small piece of paper out of his hand. "You can tell Tung that my sister will get his note, but don't hope for a response." He continued to smile and walked over to Marelyn.

"You must be the accountant appointment that Ms. Voerman here was talking about earlier. Knox Harrington." He extending his hand, but Therese interjected. 

"You can leave Knox. Our business is done here."

He raised his hands in defense, still smiling at Marelyn. "If you need any help while you are here, just ask for me. Someone will let me know." He gave a wink and walked out of the bar. Marelyn could hear Therese scoff loudly. 

"I am so sorry for him. He works for one of my sister's unfortunate friends." The two shook each other's hands as she motioned them to sit down at the bar. "I'm Therese Voerman. I am the financial proprietor of this club. LaCroix's description of you was spot on. And what a pleasure to see you again Strauss."

"Charmed." He said back, looking around the relatively quiet club. "Slow night tonight?"

"The night has only just begun." She turned her head back to Marelyn, her smile fading. "I will apologize for my sister not being here. When disagreements arise about the business, she chooses to pout when she doesn't get her way. But I guess her ideas are necessary evils in the club industry."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. And I know they say it's never a good idea to work with family, but I really wish I had a sister to do things with. You guys are lucky."

Therese smiled again while looking around her club. Her platinum blonde hair was in a tight bun at the top of her head and her glasses rested at the end on her nose. "Lucky is a funny word. But how are you enjoying L.A? I know it's quite a change form here in Santa Monica, but it's still an enjoyable city."

"I haven't had any time to see any of it. I'm hoping to this weekend though. I only know a few people here and I'll be honest, I'm very nervous to get this job started after all the introductions are done."

"You have no need to be nervous. You'll do fine." She seemed to want to say more but reached into her pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a vibrating phone. "Excuse me one moment." She turned away. "You said you'd be here and you aren't. How many times are you going to be a disappointment to me? Fine. I'll see if she would do that, but don't make me come find you tonight." Therese hung up the phone quickly and sighed. "Sorry about that. My sister Jenette is very volatile. She is sorry that she couldn't be here tonight, but she says if you are making rounds to others, you can always come back here and make another stop."

Strauss stood up and nodded. "Of course. Marelyn, we should go. There are quite a few people LaCroix wanted you to meet tonight."

Marelyn stood up and smiled back at Ms. Voerman and extended a hand. "It was nice meeting you. I think Sebastian has already sent out my contact information, so if you need anything else, just call me."

Therese took her hand with a smile. "Of course. Don't hesitate to call me as well. Even just as a person. Not all your contacts here in the city should be co-workers. Call for a social time if you need it." Marelyn smiled back and walked out of the club with Strauss.

"She didn't seem that bad."

"The Voerman sisters aren't the contacts you should be worried about, my dear." He looked down at her as he opened the cab door for her. "Our next contact is someone who is very...interesting." She gave him an inquisitive smile as the cab began to drive. "We are going to see a Dr. Alistar Grout."


	4. Chapter 4

The drive to Dr. Grout's house was a bit longer than what Marelyn was expecting. They were driving up to a large mansion placed at the top of a countryside hill that overlooked the city. The lack of neighbors only added to the eerieness that Mare was feeling as they approached the house. "Mr. LaCroix has a contact that's all the way out here? In that giant house. All by themselves. In the middle of nowhere." Strauss opened her door and smiled down at her.

"He has donated some money to Lacroix and he likes his opinion on certain things." He took her hand like before and closed the cab door. "I will warn you. Grout is a very strange man. Let me do most of the talking." As they began to walk forward towards the house, he pushed open a small garden gate that led to a small walkway up to the giant mansion. The building was at least three stories tall and she could see smoke coming from the chimney as it faded away into the night sky. She took a deep breath as she walked up onto the porch of the house while Strauss knocked on the door. 

She could hear some fumbling behind the door along with a loud voice. "Who goes there?" She could make out another English accent. "I'm terribly sorry. I can't fret with visitors right now. I have important guests coming over tonight and I don't have time to quarrel with you. Please leave."

Strauss rolled his eyes and sighed. "I believe that we are the important guests you old coot."

Suddenly the door swung wide open to reveal the man who was behind it. He was a skinny older man, who was balding on the top of his head. There was something off about him but at the same time, there was a sweetness that Marelyn could feel coming from him. He seemed to study her as if he was trying to collect data from her mind into his. He suddenly straightened up and looked at Strauss in the eyes. "Sorry. I did not know it was you two who was at the door. Please, so come it." He motioned his arm for them to come in and gave them both a polite smile. Once they were both in the house, he began to talk once more. "I will admit, I am very curious to meet this fine young lady. Someone who can make our Prince as nervous as this must be worth meeting."

Strauss cleared his throat. "LaCroix wishes me to introduce you to Ms. Marelyn Turner. She is the one who will be helping him with his finances." Marelyn extended her hand for him to shake, but he simply stood there and looked at her. After a few moments of silence, Dr. Grout took her hand and smiled back. 

"So sorry about that. I sometimes get lost in my own thoughts." He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered, "Sometimes the conversations in my head are more interesting than the ones going on around me." He pulled back, giving her a small smile and a wink. Marelyn smiled and chuckled to herself as he guided them both to the living room where there was a small fireplace and a long couch. "Tell me a little bit about yourself, Ms. Turner."

Marelyn was caught off guard by the question and stammered. "Oh, I uhh." Strauss looked at her and gave a small reassuring smile. "Well, I'm here in L.A. to help out, as Strauss said."

"I don't mean to sound too forward, Ms. Turner, but I'm more interested in who you are opposed to what you are doing here." Grout simply smiled back at Mare. That smile seemed to pull her into some feeling of safety and calmness that she hadn't felt before.

"I grew up in New York City - just outside the city, bu tI went to school there are worked there too. My parents have their own business, you see. My mother designs her own clothes and my father does a lot of the actual business side of the store. Once I received my degree, I came back and helped out my parents. I'm really excited to be here. I love my family and all but I really want to get out of New York." Strauss coughed and then gave a stern look to the doctor. Marelyn seemed to snap out of a trance that she didn't know she was in. "Sorry. Sometimes I get a bit carried away."

Grout smiled, glaring at Strauss. "No worries Ms. Turner. I have been known to have that effect on people. Must be the old Psychologist inside of me." Strauss stood up and the air seemed to change. "Leaving so soon? After the long trip, it took for you to get here?"

"I apologize. LaCroix has made a full night of introductions for Mr. Turner here. We don't want to keep any of them waiting any longer than necessary." He offered his hand to Marelyn and helped her stand up from the couch. As they walked back to the car, Grout watched them in silence, almost studying their movements. Once they were both back in the car, Marelyn let out a breath of air she didn't even know she was holding in. 

"He was...very interesting, to say the least," Marelyn said as the cab began to drive down the hill. "There was something about his demeanor that was very odd though." 

Strauss sat back in the seat and raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"It was almost as if he was trying to read my mind. And I know how crazy this may sound, but it was like he was controlling me to talk. When he asked me about myself, it all sort of just spilled out without any real control. Is the crazy?"

The bald Englishman chuckled and the cab driver raised his eyebrows. "He does seem to have that sort of effect of people." He looked down at his watch and smiled. "I guess we do have a short time to swing back to Asylum and see if Jeanette has returned. Unless there was something else you wanted to do."

"What would I want to do? I don't know anyone here, really. Who else are we supposed to meet tonight?"

"Well, it would be nice to get Jeanette out of the way. Who knows when we will actually see her again. We also should be getting a call from Gary in about an hour. Oh shit!" Strauss pulled out his phone and dialed a number quickly. "We forgot to stop by Mercurio's place before leaving Santa Monica." The cab driver took that as a sign for his new destination. "Yes?... I know we're late. We are on our way now." He hung up. 

"Who's Mercurio?" Marelyn asked after a few moments of silence. 

"He's sort of a righthand man to LaCroix. But he only uses him for small contacts. More or less he is like a middle man. He can be a bit rough around the edges, but overall, he's a nice man." They remained silent for the rest of the drive back to Santa Monica. Mare couldn't help but sense something odd when they pulled up to Santa Monica Suites. There was a young man standing by the curb, hands in his pockets with an annoyed face to match. His slightly long brown hair was parted in the middle and his unbuttoned shirt revealed a small beaded necklace resting on his chest. 

Once the cab stopped, Strauss looked back at Marelyn. "Please wait here for a moment." Once he stepped out, the man, who she could only think to be Mercurio, began to argue. She couldn't make out everything he was saying, but he was clearly agitated. He talked about having other people he had to meet tonight due to something that occurred the night before. Suddenly, Strauss opened the door and Mercurio stopped talking in the middle of his sentence and a small smile appeared on his face. 

"LaCroix never mentioned that you'd be a beautiful young lady." He extended a hand out to her and helped her out of her car. She smiled politely and looked back at Strauss. "I'm sorry for any crassness, but I do have a job to do tonight."

"It's us that should be sorry. I didn't know we had any more people to meet tonight there were here in Santa Monica." Marelyn said, still looking cautiously at Strauss.

"No worries." His voice didn't match the English accent she had been getting used to hearing. "Here's my contact information if you need me. It's nice to meet you Marelyn. We should have dinner sometime to talk more about what I can for LaCroix." He winked and walked back inside the apartment. She held onto the card he gave her and couldn't help but smile.

"Shall we? I pray that Jeanette will be at the Asylum if you are ready to meet her. After that, we will make our way back to Ventrue towers. We have to make the call to Gary there and then you should be with LaCroix for the rest of the night. Sound like a plan?" Marelyn nodded as she sat back down in the cab for their short ride back over to the club. As the two began to step inside, they could easily see that the night had picked up over the past few hours. Marelyn and Strauss stood around looking for one of the Voerman sisters. 

"You must be Marelyn!" The voice came from behind them and they spun around to see a young woman, who was dressed in a very short skirt and a revealing top. Her platinum blonde hair was in pigtails and her eyes were covered in black eyeshadow and lashes. Her voice was identical to her twin sister as she began to talk more. "You look just the way my sister described!" She grabbed Marelyn's hands and smiled largely. "I'm so sorry for missing you earlier, but I had something that I needed to handle. Therese also told me about Knox. I know he's a bit odd and very forward, but he would make a great friend to you while you are here. Oh! Hello Strauss. Long time, no see." He nodded back. "Well, I know you don't have a lot of time, but I can't wait to work closely with you. It's amazing to see a new face in this city." 

"We have to go now, Mr. Turner." Jeanette looked a bit saddened by the statement.

"It was very nice to meet you! If you are ever bored, come by for a drink and a chat! I'd love to learn more about you."

"Likewise. Have a good night," Marelyn said as Strauss escorted her out of the club. "Well, she seemed nice." Once the cab started the drive back to the tower, Strauss began to talk. 

"You will learn more about everyone once you start to work with them. I know that these meetings have been very short and quick, but LaCroix wanted you to simply meet everyone. Once we arrive at the tower, we will be talking with Gary. You may not ever see him in person, but getting introduced to him is very important."

"What does he do?"

"He does a lot of computer and security things for LaCroix. They don't have the greatest of relationships, but LaCroix is hoping you can help with that." 

"I thought I was here to be an accountant, not a personal relations manager." Marelyn joked as she smiled out her window. For whatever reason, Strauss didn't laugh and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride back to Ventrue towers. Mare couldn't help but think about everything that had occurred so far tonight. The people she met seemed normal enough, but she couldn't really connect them to each other or even LaCroix himself. She couldn't help but think that he just had a lot more to do with the local life than what the was displaying. However, she was looking forward to all the connections she was going to be making while living in the city. 

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that the cab had stopped in front of the tower. "Ms. Turner?" She looked over to see that Strauss had opened her door with his hand extended. She took it and was happily helped out of the cab and back into the building. Once they were inside the penthouse office, LaCroix greeted them as they walked in.

"Marelyn! Strauss! How did everything go tonight?" His smile was perfect like before and he guided them over to the open chairs by his desk. "I hope no one scared you enough into not wanting to come back and work with me." He laughed with a slight hint of nervousness. 

"Not at all. They all seemed very nice. I was especially interested with Dr. Grout He was very curious to be around. And the Voerman sisters seemed very friendly as well." She chose to hide the fact that Mercurio asked her to dinner because she didn't want to overstep any boundaries. 

Lacroix was about to speak again when the phone on his desk began to ring. "Ah. That must be Gary." He went over and picked up the phone, immediately putting it on speaker. "Gary, I'm happy you agreed to talk today. Are you ready to meet our new asset to the team?"

In a low, almost hypnotizing voice, "Anything you say, boss."


	5. Chapter 5

His voice caught Marelyn off guard. It sounded like someone who had been smoking 3 packs a day for their entire adult lives. Yet there was something alluring about his voice. She couldn’t help but smile at the strange familiarity of his voice. “Thank you so much for agreeing to call us tonight,” LaCroix said, placing his hands in his pockets, looking nervously at the phone. “Marelyn – Ms. Turner, why don’t you introduce yourself.”

Marelyn sat up straight in the chair and looked over to LaCroix. “Hello, Mr. Golden. I’m Marelyn Turner. I’ll be helping out with Mr. LaCroix’s accounts for a few months. I guess you are part of that.”  
“You can say that boss,” Gary responded. “I can’t wait until we can talk in person. Mr. LaCroix has told me about your beauty and I look forward to seeing it myself.” Marelyn felt her entire face blush a deep red as she looked up to LaCroix, whose face was red of a different color. Strauss couldn’t help but laugh. Gary seemed to be laughing as well. “Don’t fret boss. He didn’t say anything of the sort. He just wanted to make sure you were having good first impressions of everyone tonight.”

LaCroix laughed nervously. “Gary, Gary, Gary. Always making jokes.”

“I like his jokes,” Strauss said. Marelyn nodded and LaCroix coughed to deter the conversation.

“Anyway, Ms. Turner here will be helping us with various accounts so we can make sure that everything is well executed. Since I am fairly new to the city, I think Marelyn here will become a great asset to our team.”

“Whatever you say, boss.” There sounded to be some sort of scruffy voice in the background. “It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Turner. I hope to speak to you soon.” The line went dead.

LaCroix sighed as he looked at Strauss. “Well, I guess that wraps things up for the night. You can head back home.” Strauss nodded and walked over to Marelyn.

He hands her a piece of paper and says, “If you ever need to get in contact with me, please do. But call first.” As he leaves the two of them alone, Marlyn can’t help but let out a sigh.

“Exhausting night?” LaCroix asks, slightly teasing. “Sorry I couldn’t help with that. Too many things to attend to.” He placed his hands in his pocket after he unbuttoned his jacket.

“It was nice, but yes, exhausting.” Marelyn looked out the penthouse window at the lights of the city. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone.”

“Well, I don’t have anything else planned for you tonight and I bet your body isn’t used the nightlife yet. Why not let me take you out to dinner tonight? I know a place that stays open late and has some amazing cocktails.” LaCroix mentioned, smiling down at Marelyn.

She stood up with an awkward smile and tilted her head. “I’m sorry Mr. LaCroix, but I told Venus if I were getting off early, I’d hang out with her. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her and I don’t want to ditch her.”

He nodded back, trying to hide any possible disappointment. “I understand. Don’t fret about it.”

“I am free on Friday. I remember in the initial job description you sent me, we typically get out early on Fridays.”

LaCroix smiled softly and nodded his head. “For sure. I’ll make a reservation for us then. Is that alright, Ms. Turner?”

“It’s perfect, Mr. LaCroix.” Marelyn swayed on her feet and sighed. “I guess I’ll be on my way. Venus has a funny way of counting each minute I’m late as an extra shot.” She just remembered that LaCroix was her new boss. “Not like I’m planning to drink a lot before work!” He laughed at the genuine fear in her eyes.

“Don’t worry Ms. Turner. What you do in your free time is all yours.” He offered her his hand to escort her to the door. She took it with a shy smile and they walked out of the building together and to her cab. “Goodnight, Ms. Turner.”  
“Goodnight,” Marelyn said as she stepped into the cab. “Mr. LaCroix.” The cab pulled away, leaving LaCroix standing with his hands in his pockets behind them. 

…….

Once Marelyn was back at her cousin’s club, she felt she could decompress. “Need a drink?” Venus asked from behind the bar. “Honestly, by the looks of you, you may need a shot.”

Mare chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Very tempting, but no. Just a simple vodka sprite will make me happy.” Her cousin smiled as she made the drink, still in her priestess persona. She looked around the bar and she was surprised at how busy it was for a Monday night. “This job, Venus, I’m not sure about it. Something just seemed weird about it.”

“Was it the fact that he is having you work sundown to sunup or that he works and lives out of the penthouse high rise in the heart of the city?” Venus could tell Marelyn wasn’t in the full mood for jokes. “Lighten up, sweetheart. Anything can happen. So his hours are weird, so what? It’s not the weirdest thing you’ve ever done for a job. Remember your internship in Chicago?”

She moaned. “How can I ever forget that?” She took a sip of her drink. “But I’m serious Venus. There is just this strange air about him and the contacts I met today. They are almost otherworldly.”

Venus stood in front of her with her hands on her hips. “See, I knew that this would happen. You are over psyching yourself. The reason that this feels so odd is that this might be your big break. You are finally out of New York and across the country doing your own thing! You have no reason to freak out. You will do just fine, Mare.”

“She’s right you know?” A young man beside her said. She looked to her right and felt that she recognized the man, but she couldn’t quite place the face. “It’s Knox. Knox Harrington. We met earlier in Asylum.” He extended his hand with a small smile.

Mare took it and smiled. “Oh yeah. I do remember you. Therese didn’t seem too fond of you.”

He scoffed. “Ehh. She just doesn’t like my boss. And the fact that my boss hangs out with her sister doesn’t help either. I’m his middle man.”

“Why? Does he have a crazy scar on his face that he doesn’t want to be seen?” Marelyn said jokingly.

Knox chuckled and took a sip of a drink that he had in front of him. “You could say that. He just prefers to do his work from the shadows.” He paused. “And he pays well. It’s an offer that I couldn’t refuse.”

Marelyn didn’t really know how to continue the conversation. Venus was talking up a patron at the bar, so she couldn’t rely on her cousin to create a topic. She noticed that Knox downed the last of his drink and stood up to leave.

“Sorry, but I’ve got some work I have to get done. And I meant what I said earlier.” He hands her a small business card with a wink. “If you ever need me, just give me a holler. Bertram’s number is on there as well. I bet he’d love to have a chat with LaCroix’s new assistant.” Mare didn’t know what to say, so she just watched as he walked out of the bar.

“I’ve seen him a few times here before. Sometimes he’s with Jeanette and other times he’s with this older man I think is some Hollywood big shot. He is a pretty handsome guy, though.” Marelyn sighed and shook her head.

“You and Jack are the worst. I am not here for a dating life. I’m here for work.” Venus laughed and smiled at her cousin.

“Come on, Mare. Have a little bit of fun!” She reached over the bar and rested a hand on hers. “It’s my personal goal to get you laid while you are here. Don’t fight it. It’ll be great for you, trust me.” Mare rolled her eyes and finished her drink. Before she could refuse, Venus had already poured her another drink. “Speak of the devil.” Marelyn turned around to see Jack and Nines walk into the bar.

“Hey there, sweetheart!” Jack boomed, walking up to her. “Thought I’d find you here. Wanted to see how your first day went.” Nines looked uncomfortable just being there as he shifted on his feet. “I need a shot, Venus, of anything really.

“What about you, hon?” Venus asked Nines, but he didn’t seem to hear. “I said, what about you, hon.”

“Oh, uh, whatever Jack is having will be fine for me.” Nines stayed standing as Jack sat next to Mare at the bar.

“So what happened to you guys last night?” Mare asked. “You kinda ditched me at the bar. Is everything alright?” They all took a drink from their glasses.

“Nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. Plus we came here to talk about you, not about our small little problems. Tell us about the first day with the big shot?” Nines took his shot and asked Venus for another one.

“I mean it was fine. Just odd. Didn’t talk about finances once really. And I met some of his contacts as well.” Marelyn scoffed. “It just feels weird.”

“Maybe you should tell him you quit. Leave the city. Go back home.” Nines said downing his next shot. “It’s in your best interest, you know? Nothing personal.”

“Listen here hot shit,” Venus said pointing her finger at Nines. “You don’t know anything about Marelyn here or anything about what’s going on in her life. And who do you think you are coming into my bar and be a little bitch to my Marelyn?”

“Venus, please,” Marelyn said. “I’m fine. Some hothead comment won't bother me.”

“Plus she has me on her side,” Jack stated with a hand on her shoulder. “Nines is just letting his personal ideals get to him, right?” Nines looked away. “But like I’ve been saying, I at least came here to celebrate with Mare here.” Venus relaxed over the rest of the night. Even Nines began to enjoy himself and include himself in the conversation. Eventually, they had to call it a night when Venus closed by the club. When morning came, Marelyn woke with a headache and a groan.

Once she was finished getting ready for work, her headache was gone, but her stomach was aching. She couldn’t force herself to eat anything and Venus wished her a good day as she left the club. Her cab was waiting outside with her driver leaning against the passenger door, smoking a cigarette. “Good morning, my lady,” he greeted. “Rough night last night?”

“You could say that,” She replied. “Off to Venture Towers?”

He shook his head. “I’ve been instructed to take you to Hollywood. To meet one last contact and start working over there. LaCroix sends his apologies but he has business to attend to.” Marelyn sighed but nodded in understanding. “You are to meet with Isaac Abrams. A Hollywood director.” He opened the door to the cab and led Mare to sit down. Once he was back in the driver's seat, he began to talk again. “I want to warn you, my lady,” he began to pull away from the club. “Abrams and LaCroix don’t see eye to eye on many issues. They are reluctant to work together, so I best advise you to avoid talking about LaCroix at all.”

“I shouldn’t talk about my boss to his own contact?” Marelyn was confused. She didn’t understand how someone’s own contact could hate someone. “What do suppose I do?”

He looked at her through the rearview mirror, sunglasses still on. “I supposed you use those accounting skills and mend the situation.”


	6. Chapter 6

Once Marelyn had appeared in Hollywood, the cab driver stopped in front of a small parlor with a simple gold-plated name on the front. “Here we are, my lady,” stated the driver.

“Abrams Golden Age Jewelry?” Marelyn was confused. “Like the director Isaac Abrams?” He nodded. “You’d think he’d tell me about who his own contacts are, ya know? So, I can mentally prepare.” She sighed and opened her door. “Wish me luck.” She stepped out and a man was there at the front door. He was burly looking man who showed no emotion.

“Are you Ms. Turner?” He asked and looked her up and down. Marelyn nodded and she was taken down a dark alley way to the back door of the jewelry store where an older man was waiting just inside the door.

“Ms. Turner. How nice it is to meet you. I am Isaac Abrams.” He extended his hand and once she took it, he led her into the parlor room of the building. “We can talk as we are working, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” She was at a loss for words. Across a small table laid binders full of papers, she could only assume was financial documents. They began to sort through the binders in silence. They were separated by year. The business was seemed to have everything in order. They worked over the papers in silence. Anytime Marelyn would try to speak up, she would either be shot down or she was just not responded to. It didn’t take long for the two of them to get through all the accounts that crossed over with LaCroix. “Well, everything looks pretty spic and span. Anything else I can do for you?”

“Not really.” Abrams stood up and sighed, showing that he was annoyed. “It’s nothing against you Ms. Turner, but I don’t see the point of LaCroix having to involve himself in my affairs. The rest of the night is yours.” He politely escorted her out to the cab driver, who seemed to be waiting for her.

He opened the door and asked, “Where to?” As he got back into the drivers seat, he could see some annoyance in her face. “Did it not go well?”

“Not really.” He began to drive her without her telling him where she wanted to go. She didn’t speak again until he stopped in front of a bar. “The Asp Hole?”

“They say after a long day’s work, a drink can help clear the mind.” The cab driver said stepping out of the car and opening her door. He offered her a hand like he had always done and smiled. “Ms. Turner, I lead you to your destiny.” He motioned for her to enter the bar with the same sly smile he always had.

“My destiny?” Mare smirked back at him. “I guess one drink won’t hurt.” She waved goodbye as she walked into the bar. It was rather large with the bar in the middle of the lower floor. At the far end of the bar there were stairs that led up to a small balcony that looked over the bar. She walked over near the stairs and sat at the bar with a heavy sigh.

The bar tender came up to Marelyn with a sweet smile. “What can I get for ya?”

“Something simple. Surprise me.” She smiled back at him and he nodded, giving a small wink. “So, is it true that Ash Rivers owns this bar?”

“Very true.” He poured a smile vodka cocktail smiled, leaning on the bar with his arms. “Quite the interesting man. Very dark and brooding. Ladies tend to love him.” He smiled but as he was about to say something else, he was interrupted.

“I think there are some ladies at the other end of the bar who need your help.” Mare turned around to see Ash Rivers behind her. She looked back to the bar tender and, with a wink, left to go take care of the ladies at the end of the bar. “Sorry about him. Hope he wasn’t any trouble.”

“Not at all, Mr. Rivers.” Mare said, taking a drink from her cocktail. “The only person who was giving me trouble in the slightest today happens to be you benefactor. Mr. Abrams.”

Ash rolled his eyes and sighed. “He tends to be a pain in the ass no matter what, it seems.” He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “If you were working with him tonight, you must be LaCroix’s new assistant. You have been the talk of the night.”

“Why does it seem that LaCroix has connection to everyone in this city?”

“Well, you are working for him. So naturally, the people you come in contact with are the ones that he has business dealings with.” He sat down on the stool beside her and sighed. “But I understand the feeling.”

Mare sighed and tried to think of a new topic to talk about. She didn’t really feel like talking about work after her night with Abrams. “So, now you are a bar owner after your near-death experience. That’s amazing.”

“Yeah. Amazing.” He sounded less than thrilled. “My passion is acting and I can’t even do that anymore because Abrams ‘saved my life’.”

Marelyn was confused. “Why aren’t you able to act anymore? What did Abrams-“ She was cut off by a woman inserting herself into the conversation.

“Ash! You won’t believe what I just heard about. Oh! Hello!” She was wearing dark makeup with bright red lipstick. She was wearing a very revealing outfit and very high heels. Her coat was long and even though her skin was very pale, she seemed to glow. “You must me Marelyn!” She pulled her into a hug that caught Mare off guard. “My name is Velvet, but please, call me V.V. All my friends call me that.” Once she was pulled out of the hug, she didn’t even know what to say.

“V.V., please, your scaring her. She already works for LaCroix.” Ash said, trying to calm down his dramatic friend.

“My apologies, sweetheart. I don’t mean to intrude. But I am very happy to meet you. Strauss told me a lot about you.”

“Strauss? What did he say?” Before anyone could answer, the cab driver came up behind her and touched her shoulder.

“I guess I better sober up before we get there.” Mare said with a small smile. “But it was only one drink. I know how to handle my liquor.” The cab driver didn’t respond and they just drove in silence back to downtown L.A. and Mare felt like her mind was slowly coming back to her. Once they got back to the tower, she made her way to the penthouse floor where LaCroix was. Once again, before she stepped into the room, she could hear LaCroix on the phone.

“I don’t care. You still live in my city. We may have an agreement but for now she stays.” He waits in silence for a response. “I don’t care, Abrams. If Gary can get on board with this, I assume you can.” He hung up the phone and sighed. Marelyn knocked on the door and walked in. “Ah, Ms. Turner. Thank you for coming back. I hear the Abrams was fairly unmoved with you being their to help him out.” LaCroix pulled out a chair for her to sit a tin front of his desk.

“He was fine. I get not wanting people to be poking around their business.” She smiled reassuringly as he went to sit behind his desk. “He keeps his books nice and neat. Nothing was out of the ordinary.” She paused. “I actually met Ash Rivers when I was let out early. At his bar. He seemed to know a little bit about me.”

“Yes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Abrams talked about what I’m doing.” He sounded annoyed, avoiding eye contact with Marelyn. The phone rang, interrupting any thoughts in either of their heads. He sighed as he picked up the phone, giving Mare an apologetic smile. “This is LaCroix. Abrams, what do you want? Really? Interesting. I will let her know.” Once he put the phone down, he looked over to Mare with a smile. “I don’t know what you and Rivers talked about, but Ash talked to Abrams. He apologizes for his behavior and would like you to meet him back at Ash’s club.”

“Oh, really?” Marelyn was surprised that Ash had talked to him to the point that Abrams wants to talk to her again. “But didn’t you call me here for something?”

“It can wait, Ms. Turner. Abrams is an important man in the city and even though we don’t get along well, his cooperation is needed. We can talk afterwards.” There was something off about the way that LaCroix was acting. He extended his hand to her and walked her out to the elevator. As she rode down, she couldn’t help but think about how cold his hand was and she swore to herself that his hands were trembling.


	7. Chapter 7

When Mare found herself back at the Asp Hole, she found Abrams sitting at the bar by himself. “Mr. Abrams?” He turned around on the barstool and smiled.

“Ms. Turner. I apologize for how I acted to you earlier. You see,” He paused, motioning her to follow him to a small booth on the other side of the bar. “Rivers mentioned how he talked to you earlier, even though it was brief. He told me how you felt that I was being rude and that, despite you working for LaCroix, you seemed like a good person. Ash has a good sense of people. I let my perception of LaCroix could my judgment for you.” Marelyn was taken aback. Abrams had spoken more now than he did in the hours of work they spent with each other.

Marelyn felt small in the tall booth of the bar. She looked around and saw Ash up on the upper part of the bar talking to the same woman from before. “Mr. Rivers said that about me?” She asked turning her head back to Abrams. “I only talked to him for a moment. I guess when I mentioned you, it caught his attention. But I will be honest with you, I have no idea what LaCroix wants me to do. I know that he has professional accounts, so I don’t understand why he asked me to help him out.”

“To my understanding, LaCroix wants you to help out with his smaller connections. Make sure everything is in line.” Abrams smiled and sighed. “I also hear that his,” He paused, smirking. “Father went to school with your father and that he helped him with his business. What does your father do?”

Marelyn perked up and smiled at the mention of her father. “Well, he manages a clothing store that my mother designs for. It's just a small shop, but they are both very proud of it. I felt like I had to get ready to help them so I majored in accounting. But I honestly hated New York and my father saw that. So, he called up Mr. LaCroix and asked for a favor. It's just temporary though. I hoping to make some good connections while I am here.” Abrams nodded and before he could talk again, Ash appeared by the booth.

“I see he called you back. Hopefully to apologize.” He turned and waved to the redhead again and looked back at the pair.

“I guess so. But I hear I have you to thank for that,” Mare said with a smile. “But I am still curious as to why, if you and LaCroix aren’t on the friendliest of terms, why are you working with him?”

Ash seemed to feel Abrams prepare his speech and walked away towards the bar. “I’ll put it this way, Ms. Turner. LaCroix is very new to this city. I have been here for a while. He came into L.A. thinking that just because he has a big corporation, he can do whatever he wants.” Ash set a drink in front of Mare and when she looked up at him, he gave her a wink and walked away. Abrams smiled. “I just don’t like people like LaCroix coming in and acting like they’ve been here for years when those who have been here the longest are just brushed aside.”

Mare took a drink and sighed. “I understand. But maybe he’s only trying to help. He and his father helped my family out in ways you would know. Never once did he ask for payment back because the relationship between his father and mine is thinker than blood.”

“Interesting turn of phrase, my dear. But I do look forward to working with you, Ms. Turner.” Abrams stood up and fixed his suit. “Enjoy your time here. And don’t worry. The drink is on me.” That was when he took his leave of the bar and left Mare alone with her drink. She couldn’t help but think about how strange this all was.

“He can be sort of dramatic. Just a fair warning.” Ash said while leaning on the opposite side of the booth. “I guess those who work in Hollywood tend to be that way.”

“I swear that I have heard the same rumors about you.” Ash chuckled and looked around his bar. When he looked back at Marelyn, he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. “If you want, you are more than welcome to sit down. I have this drink to finish anyway.” He nodded his head with the same nervous smile. Once he sat down, he seemed to relax. “Thank you for talking with Abrams. I was honestly thinking he was going to tell LaCroix not to send me over anymore. Whatever you said to him must have changed his attitude.”

“I know Abrams like the back of my hand. And I know his soft spot too. It just happens to be me.”

“What did you say to him, if I can ask?” She took another sip of her drink and smiled back at him.

“I told him that you seemed a little upset about how you were treated. And that you seemed like a nice person who deserves better despite working with LaCroix.” Mare raised an inquisitive eyebrow hoping to get out some more information. “And I might have told him that I’d be a bit more involved with him if he gave you another chance. I uhh. That I saw a lot of potential in you. He may hate it, but LaCroix has a good eye for people as well. If he chose you out of anyone, there must be a pretty damn good reason behind it.”

“You don’t even know me.” Marelyn wasn’t sure if this was the alcohol talking or not but she said, “Yet you are putting so much trust in me. Why? Why do this for someone you don’t know?”

“Because I want to know you.” She scoffed and turned away. “Sorry. I heard the dramatics in my voice that time.” Once he saw the nervous smile appear on her face, he felt a bit calmer. “I do want to say sorry for V.V. today. She is very forward, but since we are both club owners, its good to stay in contact I guess.”

“She said she heard about me from Strauss. He was one of the few people that I liked. He introduced me to LaCroix’s contacts. It is between Strauss and umm, oh what is his name, Grout, I think. I just remember my meeting with him yesterday being very strange.” It was clear that Grout’s name was familiar to Ash, but he didn’t mention anything. “Sorry. I’m talking too much about work. It’s only my third day here and it’s all I can talk about.”

“Wait, you’ve only been here three days and he has already started working you. That’s a bit harsh. I mean, he could at least show you around. Get you used to the nightlife.”

“Come on Ashy, she doesn’t need your nighttime charm.” They both looked over to see Knox and Ash rolled his eyes.

“Knox. What a surprise.” He looked over to Marelyn and gave an apologetic glare. “We were just finishing up anyway. No need for you to hang around for too long.”

“On the contrary. Bertram wanted me to talk to you about something.” Knox’s eyes darted over to Mare with a smile. “Business I’m afraid.”

“No worries,” Mare said standing up. “As Ash said, I was getting ready to go. Thank you, Ash. Nice to see you again Knox.” Mare walked away to go call her cab leaving the two boys alone.

“Wow, Ash. Didn’t know you’d be the one to be interested in Kine. How would the Prince fell about all this?” Knox was mocking Ash and he hated it.

“What the hell do you want, Knox? What does Bertram want?” Ash positioned himself in the booth so that he could see Mare making her phone call. Knox, with a smirk on his face, sat down in the booth with his feet up on the seat.

“Just like everyone else in the city, Tung is very curious about the Prince’s new pet. He wants me to get to know her,” he looked over to see Mare leaving the club to get her cab. “and see her value to the Prince.” That smirk made Ash’s stomach turn and a wave of slow anger began to build. “However, with yet another feud between the Voerman sisters, I can’t be seen without Therese wanting to cut off my head just to spite Tung. I already passed a message to Jeanette about how Tung wants to keep an eye on Ms. Turner.”

“I thought that your boss and the Prince had an understanding.”

“They do. But Gary has a connection with Tung as well. And Gary is very intrigued with her.”

“Like you said earlier. Everyone in the city is curious about why LaCroix would bring a Kine into our world. But you can’t forget about that fact: she is Kine. Now if you please, get out of my bar.” Ash stood up and walked away.

Knox sat and laughed to himself. “The day you stop being so dramatic will be the day that my boss wins a beauty contest.”

…………….

The next day, the cab driver pulled up to the Venture Tower. “Feeling any better about the sleep?” He could see through the rearview mirror that Marelyn was struggling to stay awake in the back seat, once again.

“It’ll get better soon. I also didn’t sleep very well last night.” She stepped out of the car and rolled her shoulders. “It felt like someone was watching me. Obviously, there wasn’t anyone in the room with me, but it was almost like an invisible man was watching me while I was doing things in my room. I’m just sleep-deprived. Better get up to that office and get my coffee. At least I’ll have that.”

The cab driver smiled and nodded his head as he drove away. Mare walked into the building, said hello to the chubby guard and waited in the elevator as she ascended. Once the door opened, she came face to face with LaCroix. He seemed pleased to see her and based on his posture, he had been waiting there for her to arrive. “Ms. Turner. It’s good to see you. I have some coffee ready in my office.” He escorted her to the office space and to her surprise, Strauss and Therese were sitting at a small table, almost like they were waiting to have a meeting.


	8. Chapter 8

“You already know Strauss and Therese came by to see how you were doing. “ LaCroix placed a hand on her back as he walked her to the table. Once she sat down, Therese smiled over at her. 

“It’s good to see you again. Hopefully, now we can learn a bit more about each other.” She moved awkwardly in her seat and sigh. “My sister told me that Knox came to visit you during your meeting with Abrams. Persistent, isn’t he?” She was annoyed at this but tried her best to not seemed too angry.

“Yeah. He came when I was finishing up talking to Ash. But I was leaving anyway, so I never really had a chance to talk to him.” Marelyn looked over at Strauss, who gave her a reassuring head nod as a hello. 

“Ash Rivers?” LaCroix seemed to ask as he sat at the head of the table. “He’s the actor that Abrams was in charge of, right?”

“I do believe he saved the child from an overdose. But because of that, he couldn’t act anymore,” Strauss said, entering the conversation, raising an eyebrow towards LaCroix. “Then Abrams gave him the bar.”

Marelyn just sat there listening, not knowing what to say. “Ash is a good guy, but it’s Knox that bothers me,” Therese spoke with a certain authority as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “All he is is a funnel for Tung to take over,” She paused, looking back over at Mare and the other men in the room. “My sister. I don’t like what he has done to my sister.”

“I know you don’t like Tung, but he understands what is happening here,” LaCroix said, trying to be as vague as possible. 

“Hold on a moment,” Marelyn said, feeling confused. “What does this have to do with what I am doing? I’m just an accountant. Do you guys want me to leave the room?”

“Not at all, Ms. Turner.” Strauss pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. “This is just small little dramas. But these small little dramas sometimes interfere with business.”

“This may be something that you may want to get used to,” LaCroix chimed in. “You are working with these smaller businesses and family is important to them. If things get personal, you may have to intervene. Just to help keep the peace, so work can get done.” Mare was still confused but nodded her head. She understood that even though she was working as an accountant, the fact that everyone seems to know everyone could be reason enough to start drama and rumors.

“We can always talk about this another time,” Therese said, standing up. “Ms. Turner, you will be helping me out tonight at the club. I have some things that I’d like for you to look over for me.” She smiled down at her and offered her a hand to help her up. “Have a nice night, you two.” Marelyn smiled and gave a small wave to the other two as they left the office. LaCroix smiled and watched as the two walked out. 

“You are taken with that little Kine, aren’t you?” Strauss asked with a smirk on his face. 

LaCroix turned his head back to his friend. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I know her father and he is a good man.” 

“Ahh yes, I believe you said that your father went to school with him.” Strauss’ smirk only grew. “I remember when Ms. Turner came here when she was younger. I might not have known her then, but I most certainly knew you.” He tapped his fingers on the table almost like he was trying to annoy him. “I remember how you welcomed her to the city and how angry you were when she ran into Jack. I feel that you have been smitten with her ever since. What an interesting story this will be. A Kindred having feelings for a Kine. Anarchs will have a field day if they were to ever find out.”

LaCroix gave a look that could kill towards his friend and stood up from the table. “Strauss, you have no idea what is going on in my head. And if any of its contents were to get out to the Anarchs, there will be hell to pay.”

 

……………

 

Once the cab driver dropped the two women off at the bar, Therese walked in and sighed happily, seeing the club filled and doing well. “I do love my job. Come on, we will head upstairs and we can work. And talk. You’ve been talking to men for nearly four days. Besides your cousin of course.” They walked over to a small elevator and as it slowly rose to the living space above the club, the music slowly faded away. 

“Will your sister be joining us?” Marelyn said as they reached the top. Once they stepped out, Therese unlocked the door to show an office area and a bed on the other side of a separating wall. In the corner was a small laptop that she assumed was Jeanette’s. 

“Unfortunately, no. Wednesday’s are her day off. She takes those days very seriously. No doubt that she is somewhere with Tung or someone of his ilk.” She motioned for Mare to sit in front of a desk as she sat on the other side. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you like this, Bertram Tung? I’ve only been here a short while but whenever both of your names come up in conversation, things don’t go over all that well.” Marelyn tried her best to not overstep her boundaries, but if this feud was going to be a recurring event, she wanted to know now. 

“I believe he is a bad influence on my sister. We have been close since we were children but since moving to L.A., she has only begun to derail herself.” She took a deep breath and looked at Marelyn in the eyes. “I care deeply for my sister. I don’t want to see her go down the wrong path.”  
“Does it bother you that LaCroix seems to like him?”

“I understand why he does. From a business standpoint, he is very smart. However, some of his, for lack of a better word, familial connections are concerning. It’s a bit complicated, Ms. Turner.”

“I’m sorry if I was intruding on something I shouldn’t have been. I was just thinking if this man bothered you so much to the point of distracting you from your job, it might be something you wanted to talk about.” Therese gave Mare a small smile.

“Thank you. It’s nice to know that there is one caring person in this city. Now, I think we should get to work. We can talk more afterward.” For a majority of the work night, Marelyn was going over expense reports and other business dealings that had concerned the club over the past few years. Therese was thinking about moving everything into a computer system and wanted to make sure that everything was okay in her books. They continued to have some small talk about her family and as the night came to an end, they both leaned back in their chairs with binders all around them.

“You keep good books. I didn’t realize that you had so many patrons, though.” Marelyn said standing up and stretching. “Usually small businesses try to keep a smaller number of donors so that they can keep track easily. But good on you for keeping up.”

“My sister is to thank for that. Jeanette is the socialite in the family. But sometimes working with family can be too much to handle.” Therese walked over to the other side of the desk and stood by Marelyn. 

“I understand that. Working with my parents was hard. It sadly got worse when my older brother disappeared.” Marelyn walked towards the large painting of two young girls holding hands with a large man. “Is this painting of your family?”

“Yes. My father died in an accident and it’s been just me and my sister ever since. We may have little fights a lot and don’t always see eye to eye, but we are all we have.” Therese stood and admired the painting as well, taking in a long breath and exhaling it just as long. “I’m sorry to hear about your brother, but I’m glad you have grown from it. Who knows, if that hadn’t have happened, I might not have met you. And that is one thing that me and my sister can agree on: we are both very happy to have you in the city.” She turned to face Mare and tilted her head. “Come on, let's go have a drink.”

They took the elevator back down to the main floor of the club. Once they were down and there, they both recognized someone at the bar. “Oh, isn’t that,”

“Knox. What are you doing here?”


End file.
